Our Golden Wedding Anniversary

This weekend we celebrated with our family and friends, our 50th Wedding Anniversary.  No mean feat in anyone's language.  Of course, we were babes when we married!
We were very fortunate to have had all our immediate family and many of our extended family sharing our celebration yesterday with a luncheon in Wagga, followed by an evening at our house for those who could attend, continuing on today. 
In a few month's time, we are having a week's holiday together, something we have NEVER done in our whole life that has not been related to business or family.  Just can't get away now with next week's Craft & Quilt Fair being the biggest show of the year at Darling Harbour, Sydney. 

Allow me to share some photos with you for the benefit of friends and family Interstate who couldn't make it, plus, of course, for those who are interested in our personal activities.

Everyone said this was the most delicious chocolate mudcake they'd ever tasted.

Beautiful flowers and gifts too!

 

Our family - note that one lad doesn't like cameras - this was the best of several shots under pressure!

 

Myself, with my two dear sisters, Lorraine and Lois.

Sheer coincidence that we colour co-ordinated!

 

Reece, whom you know from the show circuit, with Grandpa.

 

Forgive the photo of myself, I think Reece was mucking about with his hand; note it's placement.

These are the Baily kids - Sharelle's & Andrew's.

 

Didn't have a group photo of Melinda's girls or Rowan's Hunter, sadly missed that opportunity.

Ashleigh, Jasmine & Kirsten

Hunter & Courtney

 

Thank you to everyone who came, making it a very memorable occasion and to Sharelle for organizing it all.

Hope you don't mind me sharing with you. 

I'll leave you with this photo, 50 years on 1st June, 2013.

 

 

Best of Show - QuiltWest Perth 2013

So many readers never have the opportunity to visit any Craft & Quilt Fair, so I like to show you some beautiful quilts on display whenever I am able to.  Plus, people all over the world love viewing amazing quilting by amateurs and professionals.
Best of Show at QuiltWest Exhibition at the recent Craft & Quilt Fair in Perth, sponsored by Bernina Australia, was awarded to Jocelyne Leath for her 'Papa' which also received First Prize in the Art Quilt Open Section sponsored by Simplicity Australia.  I will also show you some close-ups so as you may appreciate the stitching.

The dark bar extending across the lower edge of my photo was a display prop preventing viewers too close access, not part of the actual quilt - thought you may wonder.

 

 

 

Jocelyne has won many awards and she is no stranger on the tutoring circuit.

 

Runner-Up Best of Show, sponsored by Expertise Events,

was awarded to Rebecca Stewart-Bartell for her 'Lain Lou'.

 

 

My apologies for not snapping this photo better aligned up! 

At times, hard to do when others are viewing too.

 

 

Isn't the stitching superb?

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOCELYNE AND REBECCA

 

I'll show you more when I have a few spare moments.

Hope you enjoy and marvel as I did.

 

Perth Craft & Quilt Fair 2013

How we love visiting the WEST!  Great catching up with many customers, friends and business associates from Perth, Western Australia.
The Craft & Quilt Fair, Perth, is over for yet another year.  Thanks everyone in the West for making it another successful show for us.  Your support is very much appreciated.  Thank you also to Sandra Chandler, Just Curves, USA for being our special International Guest demonstrating her Curve Master Presser Foot which I showed on my Facebook page.  Are you a follower?

Some asked how we brought so much stock with us?  This is a sore point with John, so I'll go quietly.  Harry, from Creative Cottage Crafts and John, drive over in Harry's truck and trailer as it would be far too expensive freighting pallets with our type of stand.  They arrived home last night at midnight and all is unpacked again into our warehouse, shown in the background of this photo.  All ready to re-stock for the Craft & Quilt Fair at Darling Harbour, Sydney in less than 2 weeks.

 

 

Unloading into our warehouse; our mailroom is shown in the background.

 

Our Nifty Notions stand in which we demonstrate new products and offer tutorials in 30 minute segments all day, every day, was extremely popular, as you'll see.  This will be repeated at each Craft & Quilt Fair in every State during 2013.  Full schedule is on my website.

 

 

 

Liz and I share the teaching - standing room only!

 

 

Tomorrow I will show you some of the Quiltwest Show Winners.

 

 

 

 

Farm News

A change of pace and catch you up on some Farm News. Friends came to visit in April for 2 days and stayed for a month.  Thought you may like to see their set-up as they travel the highways, but are now based at Daly River, NT.  Glenys and Grahame sold their business and are now lapping up the easy life of Grey Nomads.

Great having them here and the boys got so many jobs done around the farm that one pair of hands just can't do as easily.  Here they are erecting a fence alongside a pair of double gates at the top entrance to our house area.

Next shows a new aerial for John down at his shed so as he can listen to a range of radio stations as he toils for hours manufacturing our Pleatmakers.  Music makes him happier with that chore!

Best of all though is MY own "harbour bridge" as it has been called - now when I take the shortcut home on my farm walks, I don't have to climb over a barbed wire fence.  Isn't it great?  Asked if it could be painted Purple (what else?) but I've been told boring old grey as that's the tin of paint available.  No sense of adventure these men.  Notice the little emu chicks I showed you last October as to how much they've grown.
So many other jobs around have been done, some that have been waiting nearly 20 years, just too many to tell you about, but the feeling is good that they accomplished so much and had fun working together.

Foxes have been a big problem with the young emus and lambs, so we now have some Alpacas in with the mob and John has erected "fox lights" which are red beams, solar powered, that deter foxes from entering within a certain distance.  Let's hope they work. Photos I took at night didn't show well enough, but there are 4 lights, one each side of this post and they throw out a red beam intermittently.

Triplets were born whilst we were at the AQC and they've survived and are doing so well - great Mum!

I know so many of you enjoy seeing what's happening on God's Little Acre, so till next time, Judy

AQC 2013 QUILTS FROM KOREA & UK

There were quilts from many corners of the globe featured at the AQC held in Melbourne mid April at the Royal Exhibition Buildings. Stunning quilts from Belgium, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Korea, New Zealand, USA, UK and, of course, Australia.

32 magnificent quilts from South Korea introduced Korean culture featuring both traditional and contemporary themes.

"GABENORI" was made by Jung-Soon Kim from South Korea.  She said: The "GabaeNori" is one of Korea's traditional plays expressed here by quilting.  Centre part of the quilt was represented by "JeobGi" technique and the five coloured fabrics spreading out in all directions was expressed by crazy quilt using the silk with five different colours.

I will show you the detail of the centre as this will surprise you.

"HARMONY" was made by Mi-Kyung Jang from South Korea who said "On the green yard, a couple of lucky birds and two couples of does and deer are enjoying the great nature with harmony.

There were many others which truly gave a window into Korean culture with thoughtful artistic interpretation on a range of subjects from fauna, flora, religion, mythology, history, human relations and so much more.

The exhibition of 15 quilts from the Cabot Quilters in the UK with a theme of "Something Borrowed, Something Blue" was interesting and sometimes with humour.

"BLUE ZENTANGLE" was made by Hanne Asbey who explained that "Zentangle is a comforting and relaxing way of drawing, usually with black pens.  Think of it as a structured, contained doodle and you'll get the idea.  Zentangles are usually two colours so I stuck to blue and white using printed fabrics as well as batiks."

I hope you have enjoyed some of the quilts I photographed - wish I had have had more time to examine more and to share with you.

To see more quilts from all these countries, visit the AQC website HERE.

Punch with Judy was proud to be a sponsor of the AQC and we look forward to next year's event to be held from 10th - 13th April 2014, at the Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton, Melbourne.  

Mark it in your diary as a MUST GO TO event.

MORE QUILTS FROM AQC 2013

This year's AQC Challenge was with the theme "FREE", winner was shown in a previous blog, however, the Viewer's Choice Winner was "COREOPSIS" by Bernadine Hine of Qld.  Congratulations Bernadine.
My apologies I didn't snap a closeup of the detail in Bernadine's amazing quilt.

I am always drawn to quilts on show using curved piecing to share with my Online Students of the Curve Master Quilt Course, so allow me to share with you a beautiful quilt from the AQC.

"Liliums for Glen" was made by Carole Pianto for her sister Glen whose favourite flower is the Lilium and her favourite colour is lime green.  The quilt did win 1st Prize as Traditional Professional in Quiltwest last May. 

I was particularly drawn to the colour placement of the Drunkard's Path sectors and the border used.  

See what you think?

Another mind-boggling quilt was made by Mylene Pijpers using the Clover Yo-Yo tool  In fact, three thousand, three hundred and eighty four yo-yos were used to make this quilt.  Made over 6 years with one year to sew them altogether. 

Want to buy a Yo-Yo Maker and try your hand at it?

One view of our main stand at the AQC.  Our other stand featured our International Guests from Dreamworld Inc. manufacturers of the Sew Steady Portable Tables, plus Westalee Design Products from Melbourne.

The Third Lucky Door Prize was a magnificent collection of products from Dreamworld and it has been won by Barbara Wilcock from Templestowe, Vic. who is absolutely delighted with her good fortune.

You could win this Sew Steady Table Package at the next Craft & Quilt Fair in your Capital City during 2013.  How very generous of Dreamworld!!!!

Next, I will share some images of the quilts from South Korea.

AQC 2013 RAJAH AWARD WINNER - JENNY BOWKER

The AQC is over for another year and indeed, what an absolutely amazing event it is!  You really must attend whenever you can.  Next year it will be held from 10th to 13th April.  Note it now!

At the Gala Dinner held on Saturday evening, not only was the entertainment a delightful variety, music to dance to, the most delicious meal you could imagine, friends for company, but we were once again entertained by Julia Zaetta as MC, editor in chief of Better Homes & Gardens.  Hosted by Bernina Sewing Machines Australia, winners for 2012 were announced.

The coveted RAJAH Award was accepted with surprise and humility by JENNY BOWKER, ACT.  A much deserved honour bestowed upon someone who has a list of achievements a mile long.
Visit her website then read her CV.
Jenny recently made a quilt dedicating it to her friend and previous Rajah Award Winner, Margaret Rolfe, seen here.

Most of Jenny's quilts though are reflected by her living many years abroad in the Middle East countries and by teaching extensively throughout the world.  If you wish to see more of Jenny's amazing quilts, please visit her website's Quilt Section.
I had the pleasure of sitting next to Jenny at a Scquilters' Dinner in Canberra one year and was thoroughly entertained all evening with fascinating stories from a remarkable down-to-earth Aussie, highly educated and fine Ambassador for Australia wherever she travels to teach.

Indeed, CONGRATULATIONS JENNY!

Another fine achiever is RACHELLE DONNENY from SA who won the BEST OF AUSTRALIA for 2012.  Her entry was GOLDEN IVORY which is a white/cream wholecloth quilt.  Rachelle added a touch of bling using gold free motion machine embroidery.  Trapunto was used to enhance these sections and the quilting was then designed to fit around the embroidery without overpowering it.

For this one, I definitely have to show you some closeups for you to appreciate the work involved.  Would you believe, completed in only 2 months?

Rachelle, accepting her award from Bernina "heads" from Australia and Switzerland.

MORE TOMORROW ALL!